Backing Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Friday slammed the demand for his resignation in the wake of a high court order rejecting his plea for dismissal of a petition challenging his election to Lok Sabha.
Karunanidhi said it would not be proper to make such a demand without charges being established beyond doubt.
Karunanidhi, whose party is a key UPA ally, also sought to turn the tables on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for demanding Chidambaram's resignation reminding her that she herself was involved in court cases in the past and the disproportionate assets case was pending against her but she had still not quit.
"According to legal provisions, it would not be proper to seek one's resignation as soon as some charge is made. Proper inquiry must be made and charges should be established beyond doubt," he wrote in party mouthpiece Murasoli.
"Half-baked action is not allowed in election related cases. Indian democracy and the legal provisions would be reduced to butt of ridicule if one has to resign at the very first level, that is before judgement is pronounced, as being demanded by Jayalalithaa and others," he said.
Karunanidhi recalled that the court had come down on Jayalalithaa in a land case adding the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case against her was now being tried in a Bangalore court.
He said Kannappan, a former AIADMK minister, who has challenged Chidambaram's election from Sivaganga constituency, was known to switch parties and had been with the DMK as its MLA.